Gaikwad credits Dhoni as crowd backs CSK skipper
Ruturaj Gaikwad spoke about the strong yellow presence in Wankhede and linked it directly to Dhoni’s long-standing influence on the franchise. “All thanks to the legend (MS Dhoni), who is unfortunately not here. It is obviously for him. Hopefully we will make them happy tonight,” he said at the toss, as loud cheers followed him onto the field.
He also admitted CSK would have bowled first as well, calling it a 50-50 decision. “It looks a good wicket here. You have to bat well at Wankhede, whether you bat first or second. It is about doing the basics right,” he said.
Dhoni absent, Rohit missing as MI–CSK rivalry sees rare break in pattern
This MI vs CSK match at Wankhede carries an unusual feel. For the first time since Rohit Sharma joined Mumbai Indians, neither he nor MS Dhoni is part of the same fixture. The rivalry, built over years around their presence, has a different tone on the field tonight.
Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first, saying conditions looked better for chasing. He kept it simple, backing his bowlers to control a surface that should get easier under lights.
Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, was not part of MI’s main warm-up routine and did not feature in the XI, with concerns around his fitness continuing. On the other side, MS Dhoni is again missing for Chennai Super Kings after a late fitness call. It is the first time in IPL history that Dhoni has missed seven matches in a row.
CSK aim to cash in moments, MI back bowling first
Gaikwad said CSK’s recent issue has been failing to close key moments despite playing decent cricket. “We are doing well, but not cashing in at crucial points. Everyone is confident and ready,” he said.
He confirmed two changes in the XI, with Veer coming in for Short.
Hardik Pandya kept MI’s message short at the toss. “We are going to bowl first,” he said, backing his attack in conditions expected to favour batting later.
Chennai Super Kings Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Krish Bhagat, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Substitutions
Mumbai Indians: Will Jacks, Raj Angad Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat
Chennai Super Kings: Urvil Patel, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Matt Henry